Nobody Told Me I Was Supposed to Lead an Incident

Most managers understand the expectations that come with their positions. They learn how to schedule employees, resolve customer concerns, manage performance, and keep operations moving. Over time, experience teaches them how to lead teams, solve problems, and make decisions within the normal rhythm of the business.

What many managers never discuss, however, is another responsibility that quietly accompanies the title.

At some point, something unexpected may happen.

A medical emergency unfolds in the lobby. Severe weather approaches the facility. A fire alarm activates during a busy shift. An employee reports threatening behavior. A power outage disrupts operations. A customer suffers a serious injury.

And almost immediately, people begin looking toward the manager.

No one formally announces that leadership has changed. There is rarely a handoff, a checklist, or a moment where someone says, "You are now the incident leader." Yet the expectation often exists nonetheless. The manager who was responsible for operations only moments before is suddenly expected to provide direction during uncertainty.

This transition is rarely discussed, but it exists in nearly every organization.

The restaurant manager, school administrator, operations supervisor, facilities leader, or department manager may discover that their role includes a responsibility they were never specifically trained to fulfill.

They are expected to lead the incident.

The challenge is that incident leadership requires a different set of skills than everyday management.

Operational leadership often benefits from information, experience, routine, and predictability. Managers typically understand the environment they are working within, the resources available to them, and the problems they are trying to solve.

Incidents remove many of those advantages.

Information becomes incomplete. Conditions change rapidly. Consequences become uncertain. Employees may experience stress, confusion, or fear. Decisions sometimes must be made before every answer is available.

For many managers, this is not a failure of leadership.

It is simply unfamiliar territory.